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The Lakers (34-23) are back on the road for the next two games, starting on Thursday when they play against the Phoenix Suns (33-26). This is the final match between the two teams this season, as the purple and gold look to tie the season series.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

When: 6 p.m. PT, Feb. 26

Where: Mortgage Matchup Center

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

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Just when you think the Lakers would bounce back after an embarrassing loss to the Celtics, they took it a step further. They lost to an Orlando Magic team without arguably it’s best player in Franz Wagner and their top perimeter defender in Jalen Suggs. Yes, the same Magic team that — with all due respect — doesn’t even rank top five in the mediocre Eastern Conference.

Given how competitive and tight the Western Conference standings are right now, especially in the middle of the pack, that was a horrible loss for the Lakers.

Now they’re sitting in sixth place and just three games above the play-in category, specifically where their next opponent, the Suns, are currently slotted.

That’s why Thursday’s match becomes significantly more important for the Lakers.

Not only do they need to tie the season series against their fellow Pacific Division opponent, but they also need to create some distance from them to stay afloat in the standings. It will help that the Suns’ best players, namely Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks — who, yes, have given the Lakers some trouble and a lot of annoyance this season, are ruled out for this one.

The Suns will most likely run their offense through Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen and Mark Williams. As long as the Lakers don’t allow them to play extraordinarily well, then LA should be able to handle them.

There’s really no excuse for the Lakers to lose. They’re not playing their best basketball right now, but they have to at least attempt to be better. The good news is that they play well on the road, so hopefully we see a better performance from them in the next two games.

Without Booker and Brooks at the perimeter, the Lakers should be able to feast.

It would be ideal to see a bounce back game from top to bottom. Can we get another good game from Deandre Ayton against his former team? Can Austin Reaves be more impactful? And most importantly, can the team as a whole just show more pride and play with more determination to win games?

With 25 games left, the worst-case scenario for them is to fall into the play-in range after playing well enough for most of the season to be out of it.

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Rui Hachimura is listed as questionable due to illness.
• Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain) has been upgraded to probable, while Adou Thiero (G-League) and Bronny James Jr., (G-League) are with the South Bay Lakers.
• As for the Suns, Cole Anthony (not with the team), Devin Booker (right hip strain), Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture), Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain) and Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury) are out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Olivia Olson scored a career-high 31 points, including a driving jumper with 3.2 seconds remaining in overtime, to give No. 8 Michigan an 88-86 victory over 13th-ranked Ohio State on Wednesday night.

Ohio State's Chance Gray hit a 30-footer on the ensuing trip down the floor, but the senior did not get her shot off until after the buzzer.

Olson also had nine rebounds and four assists for Michigan (23-5, 14-3 Big Ten), which set a program record for conference wins.

The Wolverines scored the final 10 points after trailing 86-78 with 1:40 remaining. Michigan had three starters foul out but Macy Brown, who came in averaging 2.1 points, scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, to tie it at 86.

Syla Swords scored 22, including four 3-pointers.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 22 points, including three free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to send it into overtime,

Michigan had a 74-71 advantage with 2.2 seconds left when Brooke Quarles Daniels tried to inbound the ball. Ohio State’s Elsa Lemmila deflected the pass. Cambridge got the loose ball and was fouled by Daniels as she attempted a 3-pointer from the right corner.

Gray had 19 points and Lemmila scored 11 with 15 rebounds. The Buckeyes (23-6, 12-5) have dropped three of their last four.

Ohio State hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter as it ran out to a 28-14 lead. The Wolverines rallied back with an 18-4 run to tie it at 32 with 4:13 remaining in the first half.

Michigan trailed 40-39 at halftime, but opened the second half with an 11-3 run. A 3-pointer by Swords gave the Wolverines a 67-58 advantage early in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Michigan: Hosts No. 14 Maryland on Saturday.

Ohio State: At No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday.

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There are certain players who draw a crowd wherever they go. LeBron James, of course. Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, SGA all come to mind. Victor Wembenyama, though, warmed up ahead of the Spurs’ sole game in Toronto this season to a level of fanfare most of those aforementioned guys rarely see. People were going wild for him, the security in Toronto was hauling people off the sidelines, and kids were screaming for his attention. That’s just the kind of attention the 7-foot-3 French superstar gets on a nightly basis.

It’s only the second time Wemby has played in Toronto, given he was out last year by the time San Antonio made their East Coast road trip. Especially for these West Coast guys who only come here once per season, the fans show up.

Toronto, luckily, had its roster intact to try to deal with the size and strength Wemby brings. Scottie Barnes was cleared to play after tweaking his quad last night, and Jakob Poeltl was available after missing last night due to injury management.

One of the most intriguing decisions, though, was matching Wemby with their rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles. It makes sense, but the trust in their rookie is really fun to see. We know CMB is a beast — his strength for his level of experience is wild, and it makes sense they used him against someone like Wemby. He did really well, despite the obvious height mismatch. He also tweaked his thumb again, causing an early exit from the game in the fourth quarter. Overall though, solid performance from CMB on a juggernaut like Wemby.

Jakob Poeltl also played excellently for Toronto, and looked better than he has in a long time. He was active under the rim, doing his best to defend when he was on that low matchup, Wemby or no Wemby. He was moving well, running back on offence, and making a huge difference. His activity on the glass kept Toronto in a lot of possessions.

Things were looking good for Toronto heading into the fourth quarter; they were up by double-digits against a top team in the league, and were playing well. Despite all of that, the Raptors lost 110-107 to the Spurs.

What happened? Well, first, the Raptors started the fourth quarter without Ingram or Barnes on the court. That resulted in a 9-0 run by San Antonio, evaporating the Raptors’ lead. Despite holding Wembenyama to 12 points in the game, both Fox and Vassell scored 20+, and Dylan Harper scored 15 points off the bench. In the end, the Raptors couldn’t capitalize on some clutch opportunities to tie or win the game in the end.

Darko Rajakovic explained after the game that the Raptors’ Ingram never starts the fourth quarter, since he plays the entire third quarter. Barnes was playing on a sore quad and communicated with the coaching staff that he wanted to play fewer minutes if possible, leading to him being on the bench to start the fourth quarter. It was also the second night of a back-to-back, but if it hadn’t been, I’d probably want Ingram in there for Scottie regardless of whether he played the entire third or not. C’est la vie.

That’s the Raptors’ second loss in a row. They only have one game in the next seven days, against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, before they play the New York Knicks on Wednesday back at home.

The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly stole one from the Milwaukee Bucks. This one ended on a Jarrett Allen hook that nearly sent the game into overtime if he had just released it 0.2 seconds earlier.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Jarrett Allen

27 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

Allen continues the best stretch of his career. This time, elevating the Cavaliers’ B-Team with his interior presence. Allen dominated the glass and put the ball in the hoop anytime his teammates passed to him. He nearly saved this game and sent it into overtime with a putback opportunity that came just a tad too late. Otherwise, it was a stellar game from JA.

Grade: A+

Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

This was a brutal shooting game from Tyson. He finished 5-16 from the floor and ended as a team worst minus-19. His efforts on the glass are commendable, but the Cavs simply needed a more efficient shooting performance and better defensive integrity from Tyson tonight.

Grade: C-

Dennis Schroder

26 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Schroder’s a competitor. His feisty playstyle helped turn the tide of this game in the third quarter. When the Bucks rattled off an 11-0 run, Schroder helped lead a 10-0 response for the Cavs. His dashes into the lane caused Milwaukee’s defense to scramble, and Schroder either made the correct pass or put two points on the board himself.

His final stretch in the fourth quarter was the definition of grit-and-grind. Even on a rolled ankle, Schroder kept the Cavs in stride and almost carried them to a win.

Grade: A+

Sam Merrill

14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers

Something tells me Sam is going to feel this one in the morning. He hit the floor every other possession as the Cavs leaned on him to create more than usual. Merrill impressed me with some of his mid-range shot-making, and it’s always nice to see him turn the corner on an unsuspecting defender and finish at the rim.

That said, Merrill airballed a three-pointer and sailed a lob pass out of bounds moments later in the fourth quarter. I have to knock him for that. This was a hard-fought game that wasn’t particularly pretty.

Grade: C+

Keon Ellis

14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

This was the best game Ellis has played in a Cavalier uniform (so far). We’ve seen him make an impact with his defense. Tonight, he poured in four three-pointers in addition to his elite defensive instincts. Some of the steals and deflections he comes up with are absurd. And when he has it rolling from behind the line as he did tonight, it’s a special sight to see.

This is everything you want in a role player.

Grade: A+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers

The recent Qwan minutes haven’t been great. He threw some truly bad turnovers tonight and didn’t play in the second half.

Grade: F

Craig Porter Jr.

8 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds

Porter finally returned to the rotation tonight as injuries cleared the way for him. He made the most of it, aiding Schroder in the Cavaliers’ huge third-quarter run. Porter’s downhill drives helped pull the offense out of the mud — and he threw some of the best passes to Allen all game.

Grade: A-

Dean Wade

0 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Wade wasn’t great tonight. He shot 0-4 from the floor, and his defense wasn’t as impactful as the Bucks’ spammed three-pointers, putting him into space and away from his size.

Grade: F

Thomas Bryant

11 points, 2 rebounds

Reliable. Bryant has stepped up and provided the Cavs with quality minutes whenever they need him.

Grade: B+

Despite the Thunder missing majority of their rotation with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Willians, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell all reported as out, they were able to hold with Detroit early as they held a 17-16 lead halfway through the first quarter. Their second and third-stringers showed up ready to play as seven different Thunder players would score in the first as they ended the quarter with a 15-2 run to lead 34-22.

Detroit’s defense was missing, but they found offense through Jalen Duren. Without both of the OKC big men, Jaylin Williams was the lone man left to handle JD. Duren’s size would prove to be a problem early as he led the team in field goal attempts along with eight points and three rebounds.

The Pistons needed a spark in the second and they found it from their 9-to-5 crew.

We saw the typical Ron Holland on defense, but it was his offensive rebounding with Paul Reed that provided extra possessions for Detroit to start clawing back against OKC. There was one sequence where the two of them had three straight boards over the Thunder team and RoHo was able to get the layup to go. It hasn’t looked pretty from three recently for Ron, but you can never doubt his effort.

I thought Ausar had a great second quarter – he came in for Caris LeVert after LeVert picked up his third foul and instantly made an impact on both ends of the floor. He had a sequence of a block pinned against the backboard into a transition alley-oop to Jalen Duren, and it was one of those moments where I was convinced no one else on the team could replicate that.

Most importantly, he did a great job of operating with the ball despite the Thunder not respecting his jumper from deep. They guarded him from the block or the free throw line at times, but he was able to attack and kick to find teammates for an open three. He was able to be patient and get to the right elbow for a jumper, a spot we know he’s much more comfortable shooting from.

Between these two and Jalen Duren continuing to feast inside, Detroit was able to reclaim the lead late in the second. They ended the half on a 10-2 run and took a 58-52 lead. Duren led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds as OKC didn’t have an answer for him down low.

The Pistons were able to extend that lead into the third quarter. They forced an Oklahoma City timeout after Cade did his best Tayshaun Prince impression with a chase-down block followed by a transition bucket from Duncan Robinson gave Detroit a double-digit lead. Newly acquired Kevin Huerter even got some minutes before the end of the quarter.

With a 94-80 lead heading into the final frame, things were looking good for Detroit in the Battle of the #1 Seeds. OKC was playing a lot of zone defense, though, Cade did a good job of picking it apart. While the Pistons relied on scoring from inside, the Thunder looked to score from deep. They were consistently shooting threes, with 10 attempts coming from Jaylin Williams who finished with a career-high 30 points. The entire team would shoot 18-for-49 from deep – Detroit’s season-high in attempts is 43.

Those OKC threes landed in the fourth quarter and they made it a five-point game with 5:30 left behind a 11-2 Thunder run. Guards Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and Jarden McCain contributed with at least 20 points each. Every time they made it close, Cade would carve up the Oklahoma City defense to keep the game just out of reach. It wasn’t the performance you’d hope to see after hearing more than half of their rotation was out, but Detroit now owns a 1-0 record over OKC this season after a 124-116 victory tonight.

It was the Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren show for Detroit as they were the focal point of the offense and were able to capitalize with the lack of interior presence for the Thunder. Both players had 29 points while Cade added 13 assists and JD had 15 rebounds. The two combined to shoot 23-for-33 (69.7%) for an incredibly efficient night. Cunningham also added in multiple highlight reel blocks as he continues to show he’s a complete, two-way hooper.

Duncan Robinson had 16 points including three threes and five free throws, three of which came in the clutch after getting fouled on an attempted three-pointer with less than two minutes left. Ausar did Ausar things tonight and finished with a stat line of 11 points, four rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks. Thompson had a great bounce back game after being benched in the second half against San Antonio.

The gauntlet of potential playoff previews continues with another primetime matchup, this time on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Go Stones.

The shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers fought hard, but they ran out of steam in the fourth quarter. Cleveland had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Jarrett Allen grabbed a Dennis Schroder miss, but his putback hookshot came just after time expired, leading to the 118-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks

This game was defined by who wasn’t playing, as opposed to who was. The Cavs were without Donovan Mitchell (groin), James Harden (thumb), and Evan Mobley (calf). Meanwhile, Milwaukee didn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo (neck) and Taurean Prince (neck). Having this much firepower in street clothes isn’t ideal, but that’s become an increasingly common reality in the NBA this season.

Unsurprisingly, this led to what was a somewhat disjointed game that had wild swings back and forth, but not necessarily because of great play, but due to having players out of their ideal roles.

Allen wasn’t one of those players. He once again showed why getting him involved should be the priority of any team he’s on, no matter who’s in or out of the lineup.

The Cavs needed a big game from Allen, and he delivered. He outplayed his counterpart, Myles Turner, as he was able to consistently push Turner off his spots. Allen controlled the glass on both ends and was the focal point of the offense, putting up 27 points on 10-15 shooting to go along with 11 boards.

Despite the strong play from Allen, it wasn’t enough to get Cleveland the victory.

The Cavs took the lead early on, and it seemed like they were going to run away with it. But Milwaukee roared back due to their hot three-point shooting. They pushed their advantage to 12 midway through the third quarter, before the Cavs closed the frame on a run to capture a one-point lead heading into the fourth.

The final quarter was a slog. Neither team could create separation.

Milwaukee took a two-point lead late thanks to a midrange jumper from Kevin Porter Jr. with 20 seconds left. The Cavs weren’t able to respond. Dennis Schroder’s game-tying runner bounced out, and Allen couldn’t put it back in before the game clock expired.

Opponent three-point shooting once again had an outsized impact on the outcome of the game. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s hot shooting helped lead them to victory on Sunday, the New York Knicks poor shooting did them yesterday, and the Bucks’ 42.2% shooting from three helped secure them the victory. The Cavs have prioritized taking away lanes to the basket, but they may need to find a better balance as the Bucks were able to generate too many easy outside looks despite not having much on-ball juice.

The Bucks were led by 20 points from Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins contributed 18, and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 17 on 5-10 shooting from deep.

Schroder did a superb job stepping into the starting role. He provided 26 points on 8-14 shooting and made several crucial baskets late despite seemingly turning his ankle in the final minutes. Schroder also had five assists and a steal.

Keon Ellis, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson each finished with 14 points.

The Cavs have now lost two of their last three, even though it’s difficult to be too upset about this one. Three of their key players didn’t participate, and this was the tail end of a back-to-back and their fifth game in seven nights.

Cleveland will head on the road to take on the conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Friday. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

The Golden State Warriors started out their short two-game road trip in disappointing fashion, falling to the New Orleans Pelicans 113-109 on Tuesday night. But they rebounded — literally and figuratively — in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night, crushing the Memphis Grizzlies 133-112 in a game that wasn’t as close as the not-at-all close score might suggest.

It is, admittedly, what the Warriors probably felt they were supposed to do. Even on the road, even on the back end of a back-to-back, and even playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III, De’Anthony Melton, and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors surely felt they should beat a Grizzlies team that is actively making no attempt to win games after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline and gearing up for a rebuild.

But that didn’t make the effort any less impressive, especially considering just how shorthanded the team was. Just look at those names again: Curry! Green! Butler! Melton! Porziņģis! That’s a whole lot of talent missing for the Dubs, who started Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, and Al Horford, while bringing just four players — Pat Spencer, Quinten Post, Gary Payton II, and two-way contract Malevy Leons — off the bench. Though the Grizzlies were, admittedly, without Ja Morant, among others.

And so the battle of the injured vs. the tanking commenced, and it did so with endless energy from both sides. The Warriors were flying around the court, which led to a fair amount of sloppiness, but resulted in more good than bad. They took an early 17-12 lead that forced a Grizzlies timeout.

Steve Kerr used that timeout to pound a little bal control into the team’s collective head, and they came out of it with impeccable offensive execution. The ball movement was exceptional, and you could see every high school and college coach grinning ear to ear as the Warriors repeatedly drove into the paint and kicked the ball out, drove back onto the paint and kicked the all out, repeating until a cutter or a shooter got wide open.

The Grizzlies started to close the gap, but Podziemski and Spencer were in control for the Warriors. But Memphis ended on a high note, as GG Jackson banked home a halfcourt jumper to beat the buzzer. After scoring just 19 points in the first quarter the night before, the Warriors had hung 34 on the Grizzlies … but allowed 31.

It all changed in the second quarter, though. The energy that defined the first quarter was dialed up a notch for Golden State, while Memphis failed to sustain it. It was a case of out-hustling and out-hearting for the Warriors, but it wasn’t just effort: the execution was utterly phenomenal. The team was cutting, cutting, and cutting some more, and within a few possessions it was a double-digit lead. Before you knew it, the lead had ballooned to 20, and then to 24 thanks to a 14-0 run. The youths were playing with endless energy and joy, while the veteran Horford was controlling all the action and holding down the fort on both ends of the court. It was a delight to watch, and the Warriors entered the halftime break with a 74-53 advantage, and total control of the game.

That control was threatened early in the third quarter. Memphis found their energy at the half and that, combined with the Warriors jumpers going cold to start the third quarter, made things look dangerous for a little bit. The Grizzlies started to cut into the deficit, but the Warriors were able to hold court.

It wasn’t always pretty. Things got a little hectic, and at times it felt like the Dubs were leaking oil, yet they never let the Grizzlies actually get close. Every sloppy play or missed rotation was met with a deflection, a cut, or a rebound from someone crashing from the wing. They weren’t just responding to the punches thrown by Memphis, but countering their own mistakes, and sustaining the lead.

Richard in particular came up huge in the second half, seemingly deflecting a pass on every defensive position, and repeatedly leaking out for uncontested buckets at the rim. Despite having their momentum threatened, the Warriors still led 96-76 entering the final quarter.

From there, they settled into a smooth and easy win. The Grizzlies had given it a run in the third quarter, and had nothing left in the tank for the fourth. The Warriors kept cutting and kept busting their butts down the court, earning transition opportunities galore.

The only question in the fourth was whether or not Leons could get to double figures for the first time in his career, as all eight other players had cruised to that mark. Tragically, the youngster left the team — and Bob Fitzgerald in particular — hanging. He made it to nine points, earned. atrip to the free throw line, and then missed both shots. So it goes.

It was a might impressive performance up and down the roster. The Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 56-39, and forced 16 turnovers. They outscored their counterparts in the paint 58-44, and in transition 17-13. The Dubs made 49 baskets, and 37 of them were assisted.

A day after not taking a single shot, Richard led the team with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting, and added five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Spencer nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine assists, while Podziemski flirted with a triple-double, finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Post and Horford were both very strong in the paint, with the former having 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, and the latter 10 points, seven rebounds, and one swat. Leons may have failed to make it a clean sweep of players in double figures, but he grabbed eight rebounds, dished two assists, grabbed two steals, and blocked a shot in less than 18 minutes of action.

Fantastic play up and down the roster, and a very nice win.

With none of the other Western Conference play-in tournament teams in action, the Warriors moved to 31-28 on the year, and within two games of the Phoenix Suns … while moving to three games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers. They now get a pair of days off before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — S’Mya Nichols made 15 of 17 from the free-throw line — 8 of 8 in the final 3 1/2 minutes — and finished with 19 points to help Kansas beat No. 20 Texas Tech 68-59 on Wednesday night.

Nichols is the first Kansas player to make at least 15 free throws in a game since Carolyn Davis also hit 15 at Wisconsin on Nov. 2, 2010.

The Jayhawks (18-11, 8-9 Big 12) have won three straight and five of their last six — the only loss in the span coming at then-No. 16 Texas Tech, 70-65, on Feb. 10.

Sarengbe Sanogo had a career-high 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, six rebounds and a season-high five blocks for Texas Tech (24-6, 11-6). Snudda Collins added 11 points and Bailey Maupin, who went 0 for 8 from 3-point range, scored 10. Collins and Maupin were each 4-of-14 shooting.

Jaliya Davis had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks. Elle Evans hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points and Regan Williams scored 10.

The Lady Raiders were just 1-of-7 shooting over the final five minutes as the Jayhawks closed on a 16-3 run.

The Jayhawks shot 89% from the free-throw line, where they outscored Texas Tech 24-5.

Bristow and Denae Fritz fouled out with about three minutes to play and three other TTU players had four personal fouls. The Lady Raiders were called for 27 fouls, Kansas just 16.

Up next

Texas Tech: Wraps up the regular season Sunday at home against Arizona State.

Kansas: Visits Oklahoma State on Saturday in the regular-season finale.

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HOUSTON (AP) — Reed Sheppard made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points, Alperen Sengun had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 128-97 on Wednesday night.

Kevin Durant added 21 points for the Rockets in their most-lopsided victory of the season. Houston has won two in row since blowing an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter at New York on Saturday.

Russell Westbrook scored 22 points for Sacramento, but 17 came in the first quarter. DeMar DeRozan added 15 on a night he moved ahead of Paul Pierce into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list.

The Kings were coming off a victory over Memphis that snapped their franchise-record 16-game losing streak.

Westbrook was 8 for 14 in the first quarter, with his 17 points his most in a first quarter since getting that many against Utah on Feb. 9, 2020. But the rest of the Kings were 1 for 10 and Houston led 33-22. The Rockets then outscored the Kings 44-28 in the second, going 8 for 12 from 3-point range, to lead 77-50 at the break.

Sengun had his third triple-double of the season and 11th of his career. Houston shot 54.7% from the field and hit 17 of its first 30 shots.

The Rockets led by 36 points in the fourth quarter.

The Kings lost starting forward Keegan Murray to a left ankle injury in the first quarter.

Up next

Kings: At Dallas on Thursday night.

Rockets: At Orlando on Thursday night.

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The San Antonio Spurs found themselves down twelve to the Toronto Raptors. They kicked up the defensive intensity at the start of the fourth quarter, outscoring Toronto 32-17 in the final frame to secure the 110-107 victory. The Spurs nearly lost a free-throw battle down the stretch. The team went 13-23 from the line for the game, but made enough free throws to squeak out the win.

On a night when Victor Wembanyama was held quiet, the Spurs guards stepped up to carry the offensive load. Devin Vassell had 21 points while hitting 5 three-pointers, De’Aaron Fox had 20 points, including some clutch shots in the fourth quarter, and Dylan Harper had 15 points and 7 assists off the bench. Toronto had a similarly balanced offensive attack, with Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley leading the team with 20 points apiece.

With the win, the Spurs have won 10 straight games, with a record of 42-16. They’ll look to extend their winning streak against the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow night.

Observations

• Wembanyama seemed frustrated the entire game. He had 12 points on 3-12 shooting, adding 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. The Raptors were incredibly physical with him, not letting him catch the ball inside and staying in front of him on the perimeter. He was incredibly impactful defensively, but just couldn’t shake free offensively.
• Harper had one of his best games of the season. Despite Toronto’s physical pressure defense, he remained calm and played at his own pace. Defensively, he guarded with physicality and did a great job staying in front of Ingram in the fourth quarter.
• The Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA at holding teams from scoring off their turnovers. They allowed the Raptors to score 23 points off their 13 turnovers on Wednesday night. It was one of the main reasons that Toronto was able to build a big lead going into the fourth quarter.
• Old friend Jakob Poeltl had a great game for the Raptors. He put up 15 points, 7 rebounds, and had 3 blocks. He was incredibly effective on Wembanyama. Late in the game, the Spurs’ superstar tried to get Poeltl in isolation, but couldn’t get around Toronto’s center. It was one of the more impressive defensive showings from an opposing big man this season.
• With a Spurs win and an Oklahoma City Thunder loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, San Antonio is now two games back from the number one seed in the West. There is a very real chance that the Spurs can catch OKC for first place.
• Fox hit a shot in the fourth quarter that made my mouth drop. With three seconds left on the shot clock, he fought through tough perimeter defense and found himself behind the backboard. He tossed up a lefty floater that swished in gently.