Jarrett Allen scored 18 points to lead eight players in double figures and the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to their ninth consecutive victory, 119-95 over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Evan Mobley had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell scored 15 and Max Strus contributed 14 points for Cleveland, which has won 22 of its last 26 games and improved to an NBA-best 17-8 on the road.
The Cavaliers are 11-0 this season when holding opponents below 100 points.
Scottie Barnes scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half for Toronto and matched his season high with 10 assists to go with 10 rebounds for his fourth career triple-double.
The Raptors had won four straight and 10 of the past 11 home meetings against Cleveland.
Warriors win on Curry’s last-second 3-pointer
Stephen Curry drained a long 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining – his ninth of the game - and the resurgent Golden State Warriors stunned the Phoenix Suns, 113-112.
After Bradley Beal missed a 3-pointer, Curry grabbed the rebound and the Warriors called time out with five seconds to play trailing 112-110.
Brandon Podziemski’s inbound pass was a little behind Curry, but he grabbed the ball and put up a 33-foot heave that hit nothing but net with the clock down to 0.7 seconds left.
Curry finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Jonathan Kuminga added 21 points to help Golden State win its fourth straight and sixth in seven games.
Devin Booker had 32 points for the Suns, who fell just short of a fourth consecutive victory.
Gafford has strong debut for surging Mavericks
Luka Dončić scored 32 points and Daniel Gafford had 19 and nine rebounds in his Mavericks debut as Dallas defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 146-111 for their fourth straight win.
Kyrie Irving added 25 points and Maxi Kleber had 12 points and 12 boards for Dallas, which led 47-30 after the highest-scoring first quarter in franchise history.
The Mavericks are 4-0 with Doncic and Irving in the lineup since Irving’s return from a sprained thumb.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points for the Thunder, who shot 38.8 percent from the field and were outrebounded 54-40.
NBA: Magic survive 'special' Mitchell onslaught to force series decider in Cleveland
The Orlando Magic survived a "special" Donovan Mitchell showing to overcome the Cleveland Cavaliers and force Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs.
Mitchell posted 50 points but that was not enough for the Cavaliers, who will have home advantage on Sunday in the winner-takes-all decider after their 103-96 loss in Game 6.
Mitchell's half-century haul tied for the second most in a loss in a potential series clincher in NBA history, according to ESPN.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley was quick to heap praise on Mitchell as Orlando edged through to a series decider.
"He was going, but the other guys didn't have it going as much," Mosley said. "No one overreacted [to Mitchell]. He's a special, special player.
"To be able to have 50 and only make three 3s, that's very special. But our ability not to overreact or panic to what was happening because we continued to share it, move it, trust each other."
Mitchell scored all his team’s 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s.
The Cavaliers star fell one point shy of matching the franchise playoff scoring record set by LeBron James, who had 51 in May 2018 against Golden State in the NBA Finals.
"We missed shots. Mine went in, but if it's not 50 maybe it's 60 or whatever it is," Mitchell said. "Maybe it's 30-10-10, whatever the game calls for. It is what it is.
"We didn't win the game. If I had 20 more, we would be up 20 more. Whatever the game calls for, it's my job to figure it out."
Cleveland won Games 1, 2 and 5 but Mitchell says previous encounters will be meaningless come the decider.
"All of the stuff you've done for six games all goes out the window," Mitchell said. "It's all about desperation and will.
"It's going to be just like tonight – find ways to continually be relentless. I have no doubt that we'll show up."
Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs added 22 for the Magic, who have not won a series for 14 years.
"Anything they have done to try and throw us off our game, knock us off balance, we've responded to it," Suggs said.
"We didn't want to end it here, and I think we all found comfort in that – in understanding how much pressure, you can call it, is on this game. But it was just another game for all of us."
Doncic: 'It's a pleasure' working with 'unbelievable' Irving
Luka Doncic hailed Kyrie Irving's performance against the Los Angeles Clippers as "unbelievable" after the Dallas Mavericks progressed in the playoffs.
Irving starred with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Mavs won 114-101 on Friday to seal a 4-2 series victory.
Eight-time All-Star Irving scored 28 points in the second half to propel the Mavs to victory, leaving teammate Doncic, who finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists, in awe.
"I would say unbelievable," Doncic said of Irving's display.
"So it's even more special, but just to have the guy like that on your team, it's a pleasure.
"Just working with him, just playing with him, it's a pleasure no matter what. He's always positive energy, always. Not even one second of negative energy, which helps a lot, helps everybody and we're so happy to have him."
Across the series, Irving averaged 26.5 points and 51.4 per cent shooting.
"He doesn't force anything," Mavs forward Derrick Jones Jr. added of Irving, who joined Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023.
"He lets the game come to him and he knows the perfect moments where he should be more ultra-aggressive."
A bullish Irving said: "I just got to get there to that point to be able to be ready to have the other team submit.
"One of the hardest things to do as a competitor is to have your opponent concede or submit. And I do want to take this time to give a respectful shoutout and also show my respect to the Clippers organisation and the players. It's always fun."
Clippers star Paul George bowed to Irving's imperious performance.
"You give someone like Kai those looks, that basket gets bigger and bigger," he said.
"I thought that was really all he needed to see. Everything else was a playground for him."
The Mavs will face the Oklahoma City Thunder for a place in the Conference finals.
NBA: Mavs eliminate Clippers, Magic overcome Mitchell's 50 to force Game 7
Kyrie Irving scored 28 of his 30 points in the second half and Luka Dončić added 28 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-101, to advance to the Western Conference semifinals on Friday.
The fifth-seeded Mavericks beat the Clippers for the first time in three first-round tries over the last five seasons and will open the West semis at top-seeded Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Paul George had 18 points and 11 rebounds and James Harden added 16 points and 13 assists but was 5 of 16 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3-point range as Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round for the second straight season.
Irving was limited to two points in the first half but shot 10 of 13 from the floor after halftime and gave the Mavs their biggest lead at 106-82 with a flashy four-point play with 5:38 remaining.
Dallas broke a 52-52 halftime tie by outscoring Los Angeles 35-20 in the third quarter and were never seriously threatened thereafter.
P.J. Washington had 14 points with four 3s and Daniel Gafford contributed 13 points with several emphatic baskets down low.
Magic survive Mitchell’s 50 to force Game 7
Paolo Banchero scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Orlando Magic overcame Donovan Mitchell’s 50 points in a 103-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to force Game 7 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Banchero carried the Magic to their biggest win in years and hit a 3-pointer with 3:39 left to put Orlando ahead for good, 92-89.
Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs added 22 with six 3s for the Magic, who are seeking their first series win in 14 years.
Game 7 is Sunday in Cleveland, where the Cavs won Games 1, 2 and 5, compared to seven straight road playoff losses dating to a LeBron James-led Game 7 victory at Boston in the 2018 Eastern Conference finals.
Mitchell scored all his team’s 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s. He fell one point shy of matching the franchise playoff scoring record set by James, who had 51 on May 31, 2018, against Golden State in the NBA Finals.
Darius Garland scored 21 points and Max Strus (10) was the only other Cav in double figures. Cleveland shot 7 of 28 from 3-point range and was outscored 22-5 from the free throw line.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
