Hawks Soar to 11th Consecutive Victory, Edge Closer to NBA Playoff Spot

The Atlanta Hawks continued their impressive winning streak with an 11th straight victory, defeating Dallas 135-120 behind strong performances from CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The streak ties for third-longest in the NBA this season and moves Atlanta within striking distance of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

The Atlanta Hawks continued their remarkable hot streak Wednesday evening, securing their 11th consecutive victory with a commanding 135-120 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks on the road. CJ McCollum led the charge with 24 points while Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 22 points in the impressive win.

This extended winning streak now matches the third-longest by any NBA franchise this season. Meanwhile, Dallas continues to struggle at home, suffering their 10th consecutive loss on their home court.

Dyson Daniels chipped in 19 points for the Hawks, while Jalen Johnson nearly recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, falling just one assist short. The victory propels Atlanta into a tie with Miami, positioning them just a half-game behind Orlando for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Dallas received a stellar performance from Daniel Gafford, who came off the bench to score 24 points on exceptional 9-of-10 shooting. P.J. Washington contributed 23 points and Cooper Flagg added 17 points, though he struggled with ball security, turning the ball over six times.

Lakers 124, Rockets 116

LeBron James delivered a near-perfect shooting performance with 30 points on all but one shot attempt, while Luka Doncic fell just one rebound short of a 40-point triple-double as visiting Los Angeles defeated Houston. The victory secured the season series for the Lakers and marked their seventh straight win.

Deandre Ayton scored 16 points and Austin Reaves added 14 points with eight assists as Los Angeles shot an impressive 60.5% from the field. The Lakers outscored Houston 35-24 in the final quarter, with Doncic adding 10 fourth-quarter points and James contributing nine.

Houston was paced by Alperen Sengun’s 27 points and 10 assists, while Amen Thompson recorded 26 points and 11 rebounds. The defeat dropped the Rockets one game behind Minnesota in the race for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Celtics 120, Warriors 99

Jaylen Brown’s 32-point explosion helped him climb to 10th place on Boston’s all-time scoring list as the Celtics dominated visiting Golden State. Jayson Tatum added 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Payton Pritchard contributed 19 points in the comfortable victory that extended Boston’s winning streak to three games.

Golden State struggled without Stephen Curry, falling to 6-13 during his ongoing absence. Pat Spencer and Gary Payton II each scored 14 points off the bench to lead the Warriors, who have now lost six of their past seven contests and eight of their last 10.

Thunder 121, Nets 92

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed just three quarters to score 20 points, extending his NBA record streak of 20-point games to 130 consecutive contests as Oklahoma City demolished host Brooklyn. The Thunder jumped out to a massive 60-24 halftime advantage and coasted to their 10th straight victory.

Jared McCain led all scorers with a season-high 26 points off the bench on 9-of-16 shooting, surpassing Gilgeous-Alexander’s total. Aaron Wiggins added 17 points, Isaiah Joe scored 13, Chet Holmgren contributed 11, and Ajay Mitchell finished with 10 for the balanced Thunder attack.

Brooklyn played without Michael Porter Jr. for a fourth consecutive game due to ankle and hamstring injuries, and lost Noah Clowney to a wrist sprain in the first quarter. The Nets have now dropped five straight games and 15 of their last 17 contests.

Timberwolves 147, Jazz 111

Ayo Dosunmu recorded 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists as Minnesota overwhelmed Utah at home. Rudy Gobert posted a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who scored 75 points in the second half to pull away for their second consecutive victory.

Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh had an outstanding individual performance with 41 points on 17-of-31 shooting, while Ace Bailey returned from concussion protocol to score 17 points and connect on five three-pointers.

Trail Blazers 127, Pacers 119

Deni Avdija’s 32 points and 11 rebounds powered Portland past Indiana on the road. Donovan Clingan added 28 points and 13 rebounds, Toumani Camara scored 17 points, and Jrue Holiday contributed 15 points with eight assists. Robert Williams III grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench as Portland won back-to-back games for the first time since early February.

Indiana was led by Ivica Zubac’s 18 points, followed by Jalen Slawson with 17 and Aaron Nesmith with 15. The loss extended the Pacers’ franchise-record losing streak to 15 games.

Raptors 139, Bulls 109

RJ Barrett scored 23 points while Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Ja’Kobe Walter each added 18 points as visiting Toronto dominated Chicago. The Raptors shot 57.1% from the field and led by as many as 38 points, with seven players reaching double figures in their third straight victory.

Chicago was led by Matas Buzelis, who scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss, their third defeat in four games.

Pelicans 124, Clippers 109

Saddiq Bey scored 25 points and Trey Murphy III added 23 as New Orleans defeated visiting Los Angeles in the first of back-to-back meetings. Dejounte Murray contributed 17 points and a season-high 11 assists as the Pelicans overcame an 18-point first-quarter deficit for their sixth consecutive home win and fourth victory in five games overall.

Los Angeles got 25 points and eight rebounds from Kawhi Leonard and 18 points from John Collins, but dropped their third straight game while maintaining their half-game lead for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Grizzlies 125, Nuggets 118

Ty Jerome connected on five three-pointers en route to 21 points, and Memphis’ aggressive defense helped upset host Denver. Jerome nearly recorded a triple-double with team-highs of nine rebounds and nine assists, while Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 19 points and GG Jackson II contributed 16 points and six rebounds.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished one assist shy of a triple-double with game-highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds, but Memphis forced the three-time MVP into 10 turnovers as part of Denver’s 19 total giveaways. Christian Braun and Cam Johnson scored 26 and 20 points respectively for the Nuggets.