Phoenix Suns Rally Past Lakers on Buzzer-Beating Three-Pointer

Royce O'Neale drained a clutch three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to cap Phoenix's comeback from a 13-point deficit against the Lakers. The dramatic 113-110 victory highlighted a busy night of NBA action with several standout performances.

Phoenix completed a thrilling comeback Thursday night when Royce O’Neale buried a three-pointer with just 1.7 seconds on the clock, lifting the Suns to a dramatic 113-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at home.

The Suns erased a 13-point second-half deficit to secure the win. O’Neale had put Phoenix ahead 110-108 on an earlier possession, but LeBron James answered with a tip-in to knot the score at 110-110 with 22.7 seconds remaining. Phoenix opted to use the entire shot clock, with Grayson Allen penetrating before finding Collin Gillespie, who located O’Neale open on the left wing for the game-winner.

Allen led Phoenix with 28 points on six made three-pointers, while Gillespie contributed 21 points and also connected on six shots from beyond the arc. The victory allowed the Suns to take the season series despite a dominant 41-point effort from Luka Doncic, who added eight rebounds, eight assists and six three-pointers. James finished with 15 points, including 10 after halftime, and Marcus Smart chipped in 14 for Los Angeles, which has now dropped five of its last seven contests and holds just a one-game lead over Phoenix for sixth place in the Western Conference standings.

Hornets 133, Pacers 109

Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel established a new NBA single-season record for three-pointers by a first-year player, while Brandon Miller tied his season-high with 33 points in the Hornets’ road victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.

Knueppel’s 28-point showing included eight three-pointers, matching his own franchise rookie mark and pushing his season total to 209. LaMelo Ball added 20 points and eight assists, with Moussa Diabate recording 14 points and 11 rebounds as Charlotte extended their franchise-record road winning streak to nine games.

The Pacers got 20 points and seven assists from Andrew Nembhard, plus 19 bench points from Micah Potter and 16 from Jarace Walker, but continued their slide with a fifth consecutive loss and ninth defeat in their past 11 outings.

Spurs 126, Nets 110

Julian Champagnie delivered 26 points in his return to New York as San Antonio stretched its longest winning streak since 2015-16 to 11 games with a victory over Brooklyn.

Champagnie’s stellar performance helped compensate for another quiet night from Victor Wembanyama, who managed just 12 points and eight rebounds. Stephon Castle contributed 18 points, including 13 in the first quarter, while Devin Vassell scored 14 and De’Aaron Fox added 14 with 10 coming in the third period.

Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. tallied 25 points with 17 in the third quarter during a comeback attempt, but the Nets absorbed their sixth straight defeat. Day’Ron Sharpe provided 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, with rookie Danny Wolf also scoring 14.

Rockets 113, Magic 108

Kevin Durant exploded for 40 points as Houston erased a 19-point deficit with a stunning 21-0 third-quarter run to defeat Orlando on the road.

Reed Sheppard supported Durant with 20 points on five three-pointers, while Alperen Sengun added 16 points and Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 13 as the Rockets captured their third straight victory.

Orlando received 30 points from Desmond Bane and 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds from Paolo Banchero. The Magic appeared in control with a 76-57 advantage and 5:04 remaining in the third quarter before Houston’s game-changing 21-0 surge over 3:31 gave them the lead. Sengun’s layup with 3:07 left provided the decisive basket.

76ers 124, Heat 117

Tyrese Maxey posted 28 points, 11 assists and five steals to power Philadelphia past Miami at home.

Joel Embiid delivered 26 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who closed the game with an 8-0 run to secure their third consecutive win. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points and eight rebounds to the victory.

Miami got 29 points and 14 rebounds from Bam Adebayo and 25 points with seven assists from Tyler Herro off the bench, but the Heat suffered their second straight loss.

Timberwolves 94, Clippers 88

Anthony Edwards scored 31 points and Donte DiVincenzo contributed 18 as Minnesota defeated a short-handed Los Angeles squad in Inglewood, California.

Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points while Rudy Gobert grabbed 13 rebounds, helping the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since February 9th and 2-0 on their current three-game road trip that concludes Sunday in Denver.

The Clippers got 18 points from Derrick Jones Jr. and 14 from Bennedict Mathurin but played without Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and John Collins (head/neck injuries). Kris Dunn scored 11 for Los Angeles, which has now lost three in a row for the first time since a five-game skid in December.

Hawks 126, Wizards 96

Former Washington players Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum combined for 58 points against their former team, leading Atlanta to a dominant victory over the visiting Wizards.

The pair, acquired in last month’s trade that sent Trae Young to Washington, sparked Atlanta’s second wire-to-wire win over the Wizards in three days. Kispert established career highs with 33 points and 11 field goals, including six three-pointers, while McCollum scored 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Both players scored 22 points in the opening half.

Washington was paced by Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Justin Hardy and Justin Champagnie with 14 points each. The Wizards played without leading scorer Alex Sarr (right hamstring strain) for the sixth game and second-leading scorer Kyshawn George (left knee contusion).

Trail Blazers 121, Bulls 112

Jerami Grant scored 27 points and Toumani Camara added 16 as visiting Portland defeated struggling Chicago.

Robert Williams III recorded 14 points, a season-high 14 rebounds and four blocks, while fellow reserve Vit Krejci also scored 14 as the Trail Blazers won their sixth game in nine outings.

Chicago got 20 points and seven rebounds from Matas Buzelis and 19 bench points from Tre Jones, but the Bulls extended their losing streak to 11 games, tying the third-longest skid in franchise history.

Kings 130, Mavericks 121

Precious Achiuwa established a career-high with 29 points to lead Sacramento past Dallas on the road.

Achiuwa shot 13-of-19 from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range, and collected 12 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud scored 22 points with Daeqwon Plowden adding 19 off the bench.

Dallas received a season-best 36 points and 10 rebounds from Naji Marshall but fell short of a third straight victory. Khris Middleton contributed 17 points and Brandon Williams had 16.

Pelicans 129, Jazz 118

Saddiq Bey erupted for a season-high 42 points along with seven assists and five rebounds to lead New Orleans past Utah in Salt Lake City.

Zion Williamson added 20 points and four steals as the Pelicans captured their third consecutive victory. Dejounte Murray tallied 17 points, nine assists and four steals in his second game back from an Achilles tendon injury.

Utah was led by Ace Bailey’s 23 points, with Brice Sensabaugh adding 20 bench points. Despite shooting 50% from the field, the Jazz dropped their fourth straight game.