Clippers 153, Timberwolves 128

Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 22 as the Los Angeles Clippers continued their red-hot March with a 153-128 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Inglewood, California.

Darius Garland contributed 21 points and Jordan Miller added 14 as the Clippers, now 6-1 this month, became the first team in NBA history to move above .500 after being 15 games under in the same season. Leonard recorded his fifth 40-point game of the season, including his second against Minnesota.

Los Angeles set a season high in points scored and improved to 15-5 at home since December 20, avenging a 94-88 loss to the Timberwolves on February 26. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points, while Naz Reid added 18. Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Jaylen Clark each scored 11 for the Timberwolves, who have lost three straight and dropped from third to fifth in the Western Conference.

Pelicans 122, Raptors 111

Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with a game-high 28 points as the Pelicans defeated visiting Toronto, marking their seventh win in the last 10 games.

Dejounte Murray added a season-high 27 points and Zion Williamson contributed 19 for New Orleans, which shot 51.5% from the floor. Former Pelicans star Brandon Ingram, now with Toronto, scored 22 points, while Immanuel Quickley added 25 as the Raptors lost four of their last five games.

Magic 128, Cavaliers 122

Desmond Bane scored 35 points, including five in the final 18 seconds, to help Orlando secure its fifth straight victory over Cleveland.

Paulo Banchero finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Tristan da Silva added 23 points for the Magic, who tied Toronto for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. James Harden led the Cavaliers with 30 points, his highest since joining Cleveland from the Clippers, with Donovan Mitchell adding 25 and Keon Ellis 20.

Knicks 134, Jazz 117

Jordan Clarkson scored 17 of his season-high 27 points in the fourth quarter as New York overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Utah in Salt Lake City.

Jalen Brunson had 28 points, including a three-point play that gave the Knicks the lead for good, while OG Anunoby added 22 points. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 and Mohamed Diawara chipped in 10 off the bench. Brice Sensabaugh scored 29 to lead five Jazz players in double figures, but Utah cooled off after a hot first quarter and lost for the 17th time in 22 games.

Nuggets 129, Rockets 93

Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds, while Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points to defeat Houston.

Christian Braun scored 19, Cameron Johnson had 17, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 14 for the Nuggets, who closed the gap in the Western Conference standings. For the Rockets, Amen Thompson led with 16 points, Josh Okogie had 12, and both Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 11.

Hornets 117, Kings 109

Miles Bridges scored nine of his 26 points in a crucial third-quarter run, and Charlotte rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Sacramento.

LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel combined for 54 points, with Ball finishing at 30 and Knueppel adding 24. Brandon Miller chipped in 20 as the Hornets won their eighth game in the last 10. DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 39 points for the Kings, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.

—Field Level Media/Reuters