Doncic and James propel Lakers to 113-109 overtime victory over Knicks for 8th straight win

Luka Doncic scored 32 points, LeBron James added 31 and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to eight games, defeating the New York Knicks 113-109 in overtime. Doncic also had 12 assists and eight rebounds. He had five points in overtime as the Lakers improved to 9-2 since he made his LA debut on Feb. 10. James scored the Lakers' final four points, all at the foul line, and finished with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Los Angeles trailed by double-digits midway through the fourth quarter before rallying. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 10 assists before leaving in overtime with a foot injury.

Draymond Green sorry for Towns' loss, says podcast comments about avoiding Butler were what he heard

Draymond Green sent well wishes to Karl-Anthony Towns after the death after a family friend, but says he was just repeating what he heard when he said on his podcast that Towns didn't play for the Knicks against Golden State this week because Jimmy Butler was in the building. Towns was listed out for personal reasons when the Warriors beat the Knicks 114-102 on Tuesday. Green, during his podcast with Baron Davis, said that "some would say he didn't play because Jimmy was in the building." He was referencing tensions between Butler and Towns when they were teammates in Minnesota when Butler was seeking a trade. Towns rejoined the Knicks on Thursday and said he had been with his family.

After Curry's highlight heave in a 40-point game, Green says the 'NBA is lucky' to watch the showman

Perhaps only Stephen Curry could describe his basket as the first half was ending as a "rhythm shot." Who else but the most accomplished outside shooter in history could be in rhythm when he's nearly 40 feet away and not even facing the basket? Curry threw in the turnaround heave from 38 feet with 0.3 seconds left in the second quarter while scoring 40 points in Golden State's 121-119 victory over Brooklyn on Thursday night. Longtime teammate Draymond Green said after the game he was thinking to himself that "the NBA is lucky, because this man is going into every arena and putting on a show."

Rockets take over after halftime in a 109-97 road victory over Pelicans

and for the rest of the game.

Coby White scores career-high 44 points in the Bulls' 125-123 victory over the Magic

Coby White scored a career-high 44 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 125-123 on Thursday night. White was 7 of 15 from 3-point range. He scored Chicago's last nine points on two layups, a dunk and a 3-pointer. Josh Giddy added 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and and Tre Jones had 20 points. Paolo Banchero and Cole Anthony scored 20 points each for Orlando. The Magic have lost five straight.

Trae Young has 22 points and 16 assists in the Hawks' 124-118 victory over the Pacers

Trae Young had 22 points and 16 assists, Onyeka Okongwu added 20 points and 13 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 124-118 on Thursday night to open a two-game set. Georges Niang scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Hawks, who had lost five in a row against Indiana since the 2022-23 season. His layup with 1:07 left put Atlanta up 116-109. Pascal Siakam had 35 points for the Pacers, who were playing without two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton for only the second time this season. Haliburton was out with a hip issue.

Curry scores 40 points and the Warriors finish a 4-1 trip with a 121-119 victory over the Nets

Stephen Curry scored 40 points, with a turnaround heave from just inside halfcourt among his seven 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors climbed out of a 22-point hole to beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-119. Jimmy Butler added 25 for the Warriors, who finished 4-1 on their road trip but made it hard on themselves while falling behind 27-5. They rallied from at least 20 down to win for the third time this season. Golden State is 10-2 since Butler entered the lineup on Feb. 8 in Chicago. The Warriors erased a 24-point deficit in that game, their biggest comeback of the season.

Tatum scores 35 to carry load for short-handed Celtics in 123-105 win over 76ers

Jayson Tatum had 35 points and the Boston Celtics powered past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-105. It was Tatum's 24th game this season with at least 30 points even though he sat out the entire fourth quarter as Boston posted its ninth win in its last 11 games. Payton Pritchard added 19 points and Derrick White finished with 12 points and six assists after having one of his teeth knocked out in the first half when he took an inadvertent elbow. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 27 points and Lonnie Walker IV added 17.

Tyrese Haliburton misses the Pacers' game against the Hawks because of a hip injury

Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton missed the Pacers' game against Atlanta because of a hip injury. The two-time All-Star missed only his second game this season. He had been listed as questionable with a left hip flexor strain, and was on the bench in street clothes Thursday night. The Pacers were also without Bennedict Mathurin, who missed his fourth game in a row with a sprained right wrist. In seven games since the All-Star break, Haliburton has averaged 23.9 points and 12.0 assists a game.

Celtics' Derrick White leaves in 1st half vs. 76ers with tooth injury, returns for 2nd half

Celtics guard Derrick White left in the first half of Boston's matchup with Philadelphia on Thursday night with a dental injury that was reminiscent of the one he suffered last year in the NBA Finals. White left at the 7:13 mark of the second quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face while challenging Kelly Oubre Jr.'s layup. Replays showed White getting hit, grasping immediately for his mouth and then picking up his temporary bridge from last year's Finals incident He was escorted to the locker room with a towel over his face, then returned to start the third quarter. During the Celtics' NBA Finals-ending Game 5 victory over Dallas White chipped one of his front teeth after getting landed on.

Coach Quin Snyder returns to Hawks' bench against Pacers after missing 1 game due to an illness

Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder returned to the bench for Thursday night's game against the Indiana Pacers after missing one game due to an illness. Snyder sat out Tuesday night's 127-121 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks with flu-like symptoms. Assistant Igor Kokoskov served as acting coach. Snyder said Kokoskov's "experience makes you very comfortable in those situations." Kokoskov, a native of Serbia, has coached in the NBA for 19 years.

Harden has 24th 50-point game, 1 shy of Kobe Bryant for 3rd all-time, as Obama watches

carried Los Angeles to a 123-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Wilt Chamberlain has the NBA record with 118 games of 50 or more points, followed by Michael Jordan with 31 and Bryant with 25.

Utah visits Toronto on 10-game road skid

Utah comes into a matchup with Toronto after losing 10 straight road games. Friday's matchup is the first this season for the teams. Toronto is 13-19 at home, and Utah is 7-23 on the road.