The Toronto Raptors will be out to win four consecutive games for the first time this season when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Saturday afternoon.

The Raptors held on to defeat the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 115-110 Thursday night and have won three straight for the third time this season. Pascal Siakam scored 26 points in the Raptors’ sixth victory in their past seven games.

The Pistons, who have lost six of seven, are coming off a 108-106 road loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. Detroit tied it on Jaden Ivey’s 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter only to have Orlando win on Wendell Carter Jr.’s tip layup at the buzzer.

The Raptors are 2-0 against the Pistons this season, including a 119-118 home victory on Feb. 12.

O.G. Anunoby returned to the Raptors’ lineup Thursday and had 12 points after missing nine games with a sprained wrist. Toronto was without Fred VanVleet (personal).

Jakob Poeltl, obtained from the San Antonio Spurs before the trade deadline, had 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds. He also had three steals and a block. In the final game before the All-Star break on Feb. 14, he had 30 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in a victory over Orlando.

“I was pretty happy with the ball pressure,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought we were big at the rim. You know, we made them take tough shots. And we protected the rim on a number of occasions when it looked like the play was in trouble, right, and we saved them and we were able to get out (and go) the other way. But I thought the concentration, the effort and the execution of what we were trying to do was good, was solid.”

The Pelicans overcame a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit to pull within two points with 33.8 seconds left, but Gary Trent Jr.s 3-pointer clinched the game and gave him 18 points. Scottie Barnes also had 18 points.

Despite the Pelicans’ comeback. Nurse liked what he saw defensively.

“We’ve got to get this team to play this kind of defense, right?” Nurse said. “This is who we are, who we can be and if we do that, then we’re going to (be tough to beat).”

At Orlando. Ivey scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as the rookie’s confidence continued to grow.

“Father Time,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “Reps and time, going against NBA talent every night, you’re going to improve.”

“It’s just confidence, that’s the big thing,” Ivey said. “Confidence to get to my midrange when they’re sagging off. When I don’t have something going for me, I can always create for my teammates.”

Ivey was 9-for-13 from the field, including 5-for-7 in 3-point attempts. He made two of his four free throws.

“It just came down to the last possession,” Ivey said. “It could have been a different situation if I hit free throws, and I’ve just got to live with the
consequences and learn from it.”

“We came out with a lot of energy, which is difficult to do after the All-Star break,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “The timing, the rhythm, we did all that, except for the turnovers. Twenty-one (turnovers) for 21 points in a one-point game. We can’t gift them 21 points.”

–Field Level Media

The Golden State Warriors appear to be getting just what the doctor ordered when the Houston Rockets visit San Francisco for a duel of floundering teams on Friday night.

The Warriors suffered a second straight double-digit loss in Los Angeles on Thursday, drubbed 124-111 by the Lakers in a game not nearly as close as the final score would imply.

Able to suit up just 11 players in the absence of Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and four others, the Warriors trailed by as many as 28 points in losing badly on the same court for the second game in a row. Golden State lost to the Clippers, 134-124, in the final game before the All-Star break.

The one-sided loss wasn’t the only consistency between the games nine days apart. Both also were played without Curry, who stayed home from the All-Star Game festivities in an effort to accelerate his recovery from a slightly torn ligament in his left knee.

Curry was able to work out lightly in Los Angeles the day before the Lakers game, but the Warriors then released an update that indicated it would be another week before he’s even examined again, let alone possibly returning to action.

“We know we are going to be without Steph for the foreseeable future, so same thing as what happened the last time he went down — we patch things together,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s the plan this time, too.”

Curry had a pair of double-doubles — 33 points and 15 assists in a 127-120 November road win, 30 points and 10 assists in a 120-101 December home triumph – in two earlier meetings with the Rockets.

The Warriors, who are clinging to the final spot in the play-in tournament in the race to the postseason, also likely will have to go once again without Wiggins. He has been away from the team bridging the All-Star break while tending to a family matter.

When Golden State last saw Houston, Curry was opposed by former Northern California prep standout Jalen Green, who countered with 16 and 13 points in the two previous meetings. But Green will join Curry on the sidelines this time around, having suffered a strained left groin in Houston’s most recent outing, a 133-96 shellacking at the hands of the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 15.

Houston will be playing for the first time in nine days, but its poor health continues. Kevin Porter Jr. remains out with a toe injury, meaning the Rockets will be without their top two scorers.

The Rockets also won’t have veteran guards Eric Gordon, John Wall and Danny Green, all of whom were either traded or bought out in the past week.

Having watched his team lose seven in a row to fall to the bottom of the overall NBA standings with just 13 wins, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone suggested opponents beat up on his team now before it reloads via the draft and free agency leading into next season.

“We’re going to be super aggressive trying to be as good as we can next year, with an eye towards being even better in the future,” Stone told The Athletic. “We’re trying to build a championship team.”

TyTy Washington Jr. is expected to get his first start with both Green and Porter out of action Friday. The rookie has seen his playing time increase off the bench in Porter’s absence, and he responded with a career-best, 20-point outing during a five-game stretch in which he’s gotten 19 or more minutes four times.

–Field Level Media

All eyes are on the Los Angeles Clippers’ extensive roster experiment when the team takes the court for the first time since the All-Star break with a home game Friday against the Sacramento Kings.

After making multiple deals in advance of the NBA trade deadline, the Clippers made another significant addition this week when they signed nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook following his unceremonious departure from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Westbrook was traded from the Lakers to the Jazz at the deadline, then set free in a contract buyout in Utah. Westbrook’s move to the Clippers came after Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr. made a public plea for his addition.

It has been a somewhat trying season for the Clippers, who opened with NBA Finals aspirations, only to see George and Kawhi Leonard have to work their way through injuries. Both are healthy now with a task ahead of merging their talents with the enigmatic Westbrook.

“That’s a huge part, man for anybody, for any normal human being in any situation in the workplace,” Westbrook said. “(To hear) that somebody, that a lot of teammates and people want you, is very important to me.

“I value that a lot. I’ve been in this league a long time and being somewhere that people want you and they embrace you, that meant a lot to me.”

At 33-28, the Clippers are in fourth place in the Western Conference, nipping at the heels of Sacramento.

The Kings are a model of how a franchise can perform a roster upheaval and fashion it into a winner. Sacramento did not make a significant move at this year’s trade deadline, but made one last year, shipping Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to the Indiana Pacers to land Domantas Sabonis.

At 18.8 points per game and an NBA-best 12.4 rebounds this season, Sabonis made a return visit to the All-Star Game. In a refreshing sign of a trade working for both teams, Haliburton was an All-Star for the Pacers.

The Kings opened the post All-Star schedule in third place in the Western Conference, earning a 133-116 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday in the first night of a back-to-back. Sabonis had a triple-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, while De’Aaron Fox had 31 points.

After missing two games before the break with an ankle injury, Malik Monk returned for Sacramento to score 15 points in 21 minutes.

“We put ourselves in a position to where we control our own destiny,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said about the final third of the season. “You want that. You don’t want to have to rely on others to put yourself in a position to have some success in the final standings. We control what lies in front of us and now let’s see if we can go do it.”

Since a six-game winning streak in January, the Kings are 7-7.

The Kings and Clippers face each other twice in an eight-day stretch; they meet again March 3 in Sacramento. They split two previous meetings this season.
Leonard did not play for the Clippers in either of the previous two games against the Kings, while George also was out when Sacramento scored a victory on Dec. 3.

–Field Level Media

The Phoenix Suns were underachievers earlier this season, and deficiencies were evident when star guard Devin Booker was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

But Phoenix won 11 of 15 games prior to the All-Star break, Booker is back healthy and the acquisition of Kevin Durant re-energized the squad. Suddenly, the Suns again are viewed as a title contender with just 22 games left in the regular season.

Durant won’t be on the court Friday night when Phoenix resumes play after the All-Star break with a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his effect is already evident.

Durant sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on Jan. 8 while he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He is close to a return — possibly Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks but more likely Wednesday versus the Charlotte Hornets — and impressed his new teammates during a serious scrimmage on Thursday.

“I think everybody’s competitive level has risen a little bit,” Suns center Deandre Ayton told reporters after the scrimmage. “The atmosphere around the facility has, I won’t say gotten intense, but it’s definitely a little tenser when it comes to business. Ain’t no more playing games or, you know, less smiles, more seriousness and getting a job done.”

Durant, a 13-time All-Star, always has been all-business on the court. Phoenix, which is fifth in the Western Conference, is hoping he is the missing ingredient when it comes to its title aspirations.

The Suns reached the NBA Finals two seasons ago and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Last season, they were dispatched earlier as the Dallas Mavericks embarrassed them in the final two games of the Western Conference semifinals by margins of 27 and 33 points.

And while Durant is known for his immense offensive prowess that includes four scoring titles, Phoenix coach Monty Williams said Durant will make an impact on both sides of the ball.

“It’s the thing that I kind of not laugh at but I always marvel,” Williams said. “You have to be really, really good on the offensive end to be a defensive player like Kevin and nobody talks about it. It just speaks to how good he is on offense.

“He’s a really good defender. The thing that I always watch with him is when he closes out to a smaller guy, bigger guy, he always has his stick hand up. And he moves his feet and tries to stay in front and he just competes.”

The Thunder — Durant’s former franchise for nine seasons, beginning with one campaign in Seattle — returned to action on Thursday night and dropped a heartbreaking 120-119 overtime decision to the host Utah Jazz.

All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He also had a chance to win the contest, but his 16-foot bank shot went in-and-out as time expired in overtime.

“At the end of the day with 4.6 seconds (left), it’s hard to get a great one most of the time,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said afterward of the game-ending play.

The Thunder are a half-game out of the final play-in spot in the West entering the second end of a back-to-back that precedes a six-game homestand.

Despite Thursday’s agonizing result, Daigneault was encouraged by his squad’s performance.

“If they hurt and you can look back on it and see that you could control a lot in the game and learn from that, that’s the best way to move forward,” Daigneault said. “We have to look in the mirror on that one because there are a lot of things we could have done better. But we got to turn the page, we have a good team on the road (Friday), a quick turnaround.”

Oklahoma City halted a five-game skid in the series with the Suns when it delivered a 117-96 home rout in last season’s final meeting.

–Field Level Media

The Atlanta Hawks will have new leadership on the bench when they return from the All-Star break to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

During the break, the Hawks dismissed coach Nate McMillan and appointed Joe Prunty as his interim replacement.

Prunty started his career as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs under coach Gregg Popovich in 2000 and has been an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland.

Prunty was on staff in Milwaukee from 2014-18 and was interim head coach there in 2018, compiling a 21-16 record. Prunty has been the lead assistant in Atlanta since 2021.

McMillan was viewed as a hero when he replaced Lloyd Pierce in March 2021 and led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference final that season. But McMillan butted heads several times with high-scoring guard Trae Young and the team entered the break in eighth place in the East with a disappointing 29-30 record.

“Decisions like these, especially in-season, are always extremely difficult, but we believe it’s in the best interest of our team to move forward with another voice leading the way,” Atlanta general manager Landry Fields said.

The Hawks lost their last two games before the break and have dropped eight of their past 13 contests. Defense has been the main issue: In the final two games before the break, Atlanta surrendered 144 points to the Charlotte Hornets and 122 points to the New York Knicks in a game that was never competitive.

The Hawks are led by Young, who averages 26.7 points and 10.3 assists, and Dejounte Murray, who averages 20.7 points and 6.1 assists.

Cleveland returned from the break on Thursday and lost a home game to the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets, 115-109. The Cavaliers have dropped two straight since winning seven in a row.

The Cavaliers got 31 points and nine rebounds from Evan Mobley against the Nuggets, while Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland added 22 points apiece. Cleveland had a four-point lead with 5:48 left but got outscored 14-4 the rest of the way, losing its way after deviating from the game plan, according to coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

“We’ve got to continue to be aggressive and continue to do the things we were doing,” Bickerstaff said. “We needed to continue to attack the paint and force them to make an adjustment.”

Mobley, who had the hot hand for three quarters, took only two shots and did not score a point in the fourth quarter.

“The ball has got to find him and we’ve got to do the right thing,” Bickerstaff said. “We had opportunities and the ball didn’t find him.”

Mitchell had scored 29-plus points in four straight games going into the Denver contest. He is averaging 27.2 points.

The Friday game will be the second of three meetings between the Hawks and Cavaliers this season. Cleveland won the first contest 114-102 at home on Nov. 21 behind 29 points and nine assists from Mitchell. Young had 25 points and 10 assists. The teams will complete the series on March 28 in Atlanta.

Cleveland’s Ricky Rubio likely will return to action on Friday after he was held out of the Thursday game for load management. Rubio has not played back-to-back games since returning from knee surgery that caused him to miss the first 42 games of the season.

–Field Level Media

Malik Beasley scored 25 points and Austin Reaves added 17 as the new-look Los Angeles Lakers earned a 124-111 victory Thursday over the visiting Golden State Warriors in the first game back from the All-Star break for both teams.

After his lowest-scoring first half of the season, LeBron James finished with 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting for the Lakers, who won for the third time in their last four games (with two of those victories against the Warriors). Anthony Davis scored 12 points with 12 rebounds for Los Angeles.

James, who scored five points in the first half, saw his streak of scoring at least 20 points end at 37 games. He added nine rebounds and eight assists.

Klay Thompson scored 22 points and Ty Jerome added 20 for the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry (leg) and Andrew Wiggins (personal). Golden State lost for the fourth time in its last five games and remained stuck on seven road victories, the lowest among postseason-eligible teams.

Jazz 120, Thunder 119 (OT)

Lauri Markkanen scored 43 points, including three clutch free throws in the final seconds, and grabbed 10 rebounds as Utah rallied to beat Oklahoma City in overtime at Salt Lake City.

Markkanen scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz overcome a nine-point deficit and force an extra session. He also hit three foul shots with 4.6 seconds to go in OT to put Utah up by one. Jordan Clarkson added 24 points for the Jazz.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was on Markkanen’s All-Star team on Sunday, led the Thunder with 39 points and seven assists and also pulled down eight rebounds. However, he missed a game-winning attempt at the OT buzzer.

Kings 133, Trail Blazers 116

De’Aaron Fox took advantage of a short-handed and travel-weary Portland roster to pour in 31 points as Sacramento romped at home behind Domantas Sabonis’ seventh triple-double of the season.

The Trail Blazers elected to hold Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant out of the game after Portland, following a long weather-related delay on the runway and eventual flight cancellation on Wednesday night, was unable to travel into the California capital until Thursday morning.

The 11 players who suited up for the Trail Blazers didn’t appear to be bothered by the nuisance early in the game, as Portland blasted out to 11-2, 19-4 and 27-11 leads en route to a 37-29 advantage through 12 minutes. But the rest of the night belonged to the Kings, who scorched the Portland defense for 54-percent shooting en route to their 15th 130-point game of the season and their fourth win in six games.

Nuggets 115, Cavaliers 109

Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists for his 22nd triple-double of the season as Denver beat host Cleveland for its fourth straight win.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 17, and Jamal Murray put up 16 points and nine assists in his return to the lineup for the Nuggets, who remain unbeaten when Jokic has a triple-double.

Evan Mobley had 31 points and nine rebounds, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland scored 22 points each, and Jarrett Allen had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Cleveland took its second loss in a row after a seven-game winning streak.

76ers 110, Grizzlies 105

James Harden had 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Joel Embiid threw down a clutch dunk with 23.3 seconds left to help Philadelphia rally from a 17-point deficit to beat Memphis at home.

Despite missing the morning shootaround due to a non-COVID illness, Embiid finished with 27 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and six blocked shots. He shot 7 of 25 from the field and 13 of 17 from the free-throw line.

Desmond Bane scored 25 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots for the Grizzlies. Ja Morant scored 15 on 3-of-16 shooting, Dillon Brooks had 11 points and Xavier Tillman swept 12 rebounds.

Celtics 142, Pacers 138 (OT)

Jayson Tatum scored the final four points of overtime to help Boston defeat Indiana in Indianapolis.

Tatum had 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He broke a 138-138 tie by making two free throws with 56.2 seconds remaining and then scored the game’s final basket after collecting an offensive rebound with 10.4 seconds to play. Jaylen Brown added 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Malcolm Brogdon came off the bench to score 24 points in his first game in Indiana since the Pacers traded him to the Celtics in the offseason.

Myles Turner connected for a career-high eight 3-pointers and tied a career high with 40 points for the Pacers, who made 22 3-pointers in the game. Turner made 8 of 10 shots from behind the arc. Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with 22 points and 14 assists, but missed a long 3-point attempt at the end of regulation with the teams tied 125-125.

Mavericks 142, Spurs 116

Luka Doncic scored 28 points and dished out 10 assists in three quarters of play and Kyrie Irving added 23 points as Dallas swamped hapless San Antonio to snap a three-game losing streak.

It was just the third game the Mavericks’ new dynamic duo have played together since a trade brought Irving to Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 6, and the Mavs lost the prior two contests. Tim Hardaway Jr. put up 22 points for Dallas, with Christian Wood scoring 16, Justin Holiday hitting for 15, and Reggie Bullock contributing 12, Josh Green 11 and Dwight Powell 10.

San Antonio extended its franchise-record losing streak to 15 games. Malaki Branham led the Spurs with 23 points while Keldon Johnson added 22, Charles Bassey scored 16, Keita Bates-Diop had 15, Zach Collins amassed 13 points and 12 rebounds and Devonte’ Graham threw in 10 points.

Magic 108, Pistons 106

Wendell Carter Jr. closed out a 14-point, 14-rebound performance with a tip-in at the buzzer to elevate host Orlando over Detroit.

Carter’s game-winning basket — initially negated for offensive goaltending before the call was overruled on video review — came after Paolo Banchero’s driving attempt to break a 106-106 stalemate was unsuccessful.

Banchero finished with 11 points, almost nine fewer than his team-leading season average, on 4-of-13 shooting from the floor. His struggles were reflective of collective shooting woes for the Magic, who hit just 41.1 percent of their field-goal attempts for the game. On the other end of the floor, the Pistons shot 45.7 percent from the floor but committed 21 turnovers.

Raptors 115, Pelicans 110

Pascal Siakam scored 17 of his 26 points in the third quarter and Toronto held on to defeat visiting New Orleans.

Jakob Poeltl added 21 points and a career-best 18 rebounds for the Raptors, who have won three in a row. O.G. Anunoby returned from a wrist injury to score 12 points, but Toronto was without Fred VanVleet (personal).

Brandon Ingram had 36 points for the Pelicans, who lost for the third time in four games. CJ McCollum added 23 points.

–Field Level Media

Malik Beasley scored 25 points and Austin Reaves added 17 as the new-look Los Angeles Lakers earned a 124-111 victory Thursday over the visiting Golden State Warriors in the first game back from the All-Star break for both teams.

After his lowest-scoring first half of the season, LeBron James finished with 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting for the Lakers, who won for the third time in their last four games (with two of those victories against the Warriors). Anthony Davis scored 12 points with 12 rebounds for Los Angeles.

James, who scored five points in the first half, saw his streak of scoring at least 20 points end at 37 games. He added nine rebounds and eight assists.

Klay Thompson scored 22 points and Ty Jerome added 20 for the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry (leg) and Andrew Wiggins (personal). Golden State lost for the fourth time in its last five games and remained stuck on seven road victories, the lowest among postseason-eligible teams.

Kevon Looney had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Warriors, while Draymond Green had 11 rebounds. Jordan Poole had 16 points for Golden State.

The Warriors led early before the Lakers moved in front 4 1/2 minutes into the game and never trailed again. Los Angeles was up 31-23 after one quarter and 59-56 at halftime. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell was ruled out for the game in the first half after he sprained his right ankle.

The Lakers pushed their lead to as many as 17 points late in the third quarter and went into the final period with a 95-80 advantage before putting the game away from there.

The Lakers added a number of new faces in advance of this month’s trade deadline as Russell Westbrook departed. Rui Hachimura (14 points) was playing in his 12th game with Los Angeles. Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt (four points) and Russell (two points) were in their third game, while Mo Bamba (10 points, 13 rebounds) was in his second.

–Field Level Media

De’Aaron Fox took advantage of a short-handed and travel-weary Portland Trail Blazers roster to pour in 31 points as the Sacramento Kings returned from the All-Star break with a 133-116 romp on Thursday night.

Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double for the Kings, who won for the fourth time in six games.

The Trail Blazers elected to hold Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant out of the game after Portland, following a long weather-related delay on the runway and eventual flight cancellation on Wednesday night, was unable to travel into the California capital until Thursday morning.

The 11 players who suited up for the Trail Blazers didn’t appear to be bothered by the nuisance early in the game, as Portland blasted out to 11-2, 19-4 and 27-11 leads en route to a 37-29 advantage through 12 minutes.

But the rest of the night belonged to the Kings, who scorched the Portland defense for 54 percent shooting en route to their 15th 130-point game of the season.

Fox posted 30 or more points for the fifth straight contest. He hit 11 of his 15 shots and seven of his eight free throws on a night when the Kings outscored the guests 25-14 at the line.

All five Kings starters scored in double figures, including Sabonis with 18 points to complement a game-high 18 rebounds, a game-high 10 assists and three steals. The triple-double was his seventh of the season.

Terence Davis and Malik Monk chipped in with 20 and 15 points, respectively, off the bench, while starters Harrison Barnes (15), Keegan Murray (10) and Kevin Huerter (10) also contributed on offense.

Davis shot 4-for-5 on 3-point attempts. The Kings went 14-for-34 (41.2 percent) from beyond the arc as a team.

Making his second start of the season, Nassir Little paced the Trail Blazers with a season-best 26 points, 11 more than he had in any previous game. He shot 10-for-19 and accounted for five of the visitors’ 16 3-pointers.

Playing his fourth game since arriving in a trade with the New York Knicks, Cam Reddish added 24 points for Portland, which also was playing without Anfernee Simons (ankle). Keon Johnson had 16 points and Trendon Watford 15 in the club’s second straight defeat.

The meeting was the first since the Trail Blazers won 115-108 at Sacramento on opening night. Grant (23), Simons (22) and Lillard (20) combined for 65 points in that game.

–Field Level Media