The NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks produced a statement win ahead of the playoffs led by Giannis Antetokounmpo as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 117-104 on Sunday.
Antetokounmpo scored 33 points with 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, bringing up his 31st 30-point double-double this season, as they improved to 56-22 at Fiserv Forum.
The win moves Milwaukee closer to clinching the Eastern Conference, with the Boston Celtics (54-24) in the second spot ahead of the 76ers (51-27) in third with four games to play.
Boston, who routed the Bucks 140-99 three nights ago, have the head-to-head tiebreaker on Milwaukee.
The Bucks shot at 57.5 per cent from the field, led by Antetokounmpo's 13-of-17 shooting, while Khris Middleton started strong for 19 points. Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis contributed 21, 18 and 18 points respectively.
Middleton's hot start fuelled the Bucks' 41-26 first-quarter lead and they never looked back, with the 76ers closing to within four points in the third period, before the Bucks pulled away again as Antetokounmpo scored the final seven points of that quarter.
MVP candidate Joel Embiid scored 28 points on 11-of-25 shooting from the field with nine rebounds and five assists.
Tyrese Maxey added a team-high 29 points with six-of-seven from beyond the arc. James Harden was contained to 11 points with six assists.
Thompson spurns game-winning attempt
Klay Thompson missed two game-winning three-point attempts in the final five seconds as the fast-finishing Golden State Warriors lost 112-110 to the Denver Nuggets without Nikola Jokic.
The Warriors had rallied from nine points down in the final two minutes to earn Thompson a three-point shot for victory from Stephen Curry's pass, but his initial attempt rimmed out, before a follow-up was blocked by Aaron Gordon.
Michael Porter Jr (29 points and 11 rebounds) and Jamal Murray (26 points and eight assists) impressed in Jokic's absence.
Thompson and Curry finished with 25 and 21 points each, with the former making five-of-16 from three-point range as Golden State shot nine-of-42 from beyond the arc as a team. Golden State fall to sixth with a 41-38 record with the Los Angeles Lakers right behind them.
LeBron matches Kidd for triple-doubles
Anthony Davis scored 40 points and LeBron James recorded a triple-double as the Lakers claimed their third straight win to boost their playoff hopes, downing the Houston Rockets 134-109.
James finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to draw level wit Jason Kidd in fourth overall (107) for most triple-doubles in NBA history. Russell Westbrook (198) has the most, ahead of Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138).
Davis scored 27 of his 40 points in the first half, with the Lakers improving their record to 40-38 to sit seventh in the West with four games to go. The fifth-placed Los Angeles Clippers (41-38) lost to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, with the two LA sides to meet on Wednesday.
NBA: Celtics, Mavericks take 2-1 leads in conference semifinals
Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 12 rebounds and Jaylen Brown added 28 points as the Boston Celtics rode a bounce-back performance for a 106-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
After losing Game 2 at home by 24, the top-seeded Celtics looked more like themselves on Cleveland’s home court.
Tatum opened the second half with a three-point play to ignite a 14-0 run that gave Boston a 71-48 lead.
The Cavaliers got the deficit down to nine three times in the fourth quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White midway through the period ended any hope of a comeback.
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points for Cleveland, but aggravated a left knee injury in the fourth quarter and was laboured. With Boston up 13 with 1:19 left, he left the court and walked directly to the locker room.
Evan Mobley added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had won their first four home playoff games. They haven’t won consecutive postseason contests since taking the first two against Orlando in the first round.
Cleveland was again without starting center Jarrett Allen, who missed his sixth straight game with a painful rib injury.
Boston center Kristaps Porzingis missed his fourth consecutive game with a calf strain.
Mavericks take 2-1 lead on Thunder
Kyrie Irving hit a running left-hander in the lane in the final minute and scored 22 points as the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 105-101 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Luka Dončić also had 22 points to go with 15 rebounds and P.J. Washington added 27 points, two shy of his playoff high from the previous game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks as the top-seeded Thunder lost their second straight after opening 5-0 in the playoffs.
Game 4 is Monday night in Dallas.
Chet Holmgren had 13 points and four of the Thunder’s 11 blocks, but Oklahoma City was outrebounded 16-5 on the offensive glass and outscored 16-9 in second-chance points.
Irving bounced back from scoring nine points in Game 2 with 14 points in the second half alone, including six consecutive Dallas points in the fourth quarter that helped the Mavs to their biggest lead of the final period at nine.
Oklahoma City decided to foul Dereck Lively II intentionally in the fourth quarter, and he missed three of the first four free throws before he hit the next four in a row to put Dallas up 100-95 with 3:06 left.
After Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws, Irving’s basket restored the Mavericks’ five-point lead.
'The best winger on the planet' – Guardiola lauds defender Gvardiol after Fulham rout
Pep Guardiola joked Manchester City have signed "the best winger on the planet" after defender Josko Gvardiol scored twice in Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Fulham.
Centre-back Gvardiol once again operated at full-back on the left of City's four-man defence, finding the net in either half at Craven Cottage as Guardiola's side moved back to the Premier League summit.
His first came from a dancing run inside from Kevin De Bruyne's dinked pass before curling a well-taken right-footed finish into the bottom-left corner.
That passage of play may have been expected from City's attacking riches of Phil Foden, Erling Haaland or Bernardo Silva, though Gvardiol is becoming accustomed to starring at the other end of the pitch.
The Croatia international has netted five goals in his last seven games for City after not scoring in his first 32 matches across all competitions – but Guardiola is not surprised.
"The first goal, we signed the best winger on the planet," Guardiola jested with BBC Radio Manchester. "He's an incredible guy, can play in different positions.
"After Wolves I gave [the players] three days off, he was the only one who went to the training centre for his recovery.
"He lives for his profession. We have made an incredible signing for many, many years to come."
Foden also scored his 25th goal of the season for City, becoming just the second English player to score 25+ in a season for the club in the Premier League era (across all competitions), after Raheem Sterling in 2018-19 (25) and 2019-20 (31).
Julian Alvarez then wrapped up proceedings with a last-gasp penalty, taking the spot-kick from Gvardiol, who passed up the chance to score a hat-trick out of respect for his team-mate.
That domination ensured City will end the day in first place for just the eighth time in 2024 – overall, this will be the 72nd day they have ended in top spot this season, behind Liverpool (87) and Arsenal (74).
Guardiola's side are two points clear of Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Sunday, and still have a game in hand to come when visiting Tottenham on Tuesday.
The City manager told his post-match press conference: "Our dream is as we said a few weeks ago when [Arsenal] lost against Aston Villa was to arrive in the last games with it in our hands.
"We wanted to play West Ham at home with the destiny belonging to us."
Destiny remains in City's hands as they search for a sixth Premier League title in the last seven seasons.
Kompany looking to start next season's preparations immediately following Burnley's relegation
Vincent Kompany is looking to start Burnley's preparations for next season as soon as possible after their relegation was confirmed with defeat away at Tottenham.
Burnley knew they had to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday to keep any hopes of staying up alive, and Jacob Bruun Larsen's first-half strike put the Clarets ahead in north London.
However, Pedro Porro equalised for the hosts, before Micky van de Ven slotted home in the 82nd minute to condemn Kompany's men to the second tier after just one season back in the top-flight.
Burnley's last campaign in the Championship ended in immediate promotion, in impressive fashion too as they romped to the title.
Kompany is hoping for more of the same next term, telling BBC Sport: "Today the Premier League is over, but tomorrow we start day one of doing everything we can to get back to the Premier League.
"I'm very lucky to be surrounded by good people, hard-working players, staff and fans who have backed the club for generations. That's who we try to do it for every weekend.
"The game has gone a bit like others have gone for us this season. We created chances but the one where we missed the final pass.
"I'm not here sulking and feeling sorry for us, but if you take every game, every season as a learning experience, this is a step we need to get into our game."
Spurs had previously lost four on the bounce, and it appeared they would slip up further as Saturday's contest went on until Van de Ven's crucial late goal ensured the three points, moving them four points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with two games remaining.
Ange Postecoglou's men accumulated an xG (expected goals) of 2.5 to Burnley's 0.75, and the Spurs boss felt his side should have cruised to a much more routine win than it ultimately proved to be.
"We were dominant enough," Postecoglou told BBC Sport. "Their keeper was outstanding today and we had enough chances.
"It's always difficult when you lose four matches in a row and it is only natural there will be a bit of anxiety and a bit of stress there.
"For the most part I think we handled the game well, and we finished the game strong. It should have been a more comfortable victory, but the most important thing is we won the game."
Van de Ven's cool finish was his third goal of the season, and the 23-year-old's performances at centre-back since joining from Wolfsburg prior to the campaign have earned plaudits.
Postecoglou is delighted with the defender's maiden Premier League campaign, saying: "He's not a bad player, is he? He's outstanding and that's the exciting thing for me - it is his first year in Premier League football.
"I can't think of too many players who have made such an impact in their first year of Premier League football, and knowing he only really had one year in the Bundesliga. It's not like he's a seasoned professional.
"He has had a few injury problems, but when he's played he has been outstanding."
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