Towns scores NBA-best 60 points as T-Wolves beat Spurs | NBA

Towns shot 19 for 31 and grabbed 17 rebounds to surpass his previous best of 56 points against Atlanta on March 28, 2018. Lakers star LeBron James and Hawks point guard Trae Young shared the highest honor in the league with 56 points earlier this season.

Minnesota’s 7-foot All-Star capped his dazzling performance by dumping a 3-pointer with 1:39 of water remaining just after taking one of two free throws to put up 57 points.

He became the first NBA player with 60 points and 17 rebounds in a game since Shaquille O’Neal had 61 and 23 for the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2000.

San Antonio has lost back-to-back since Gregg Popovich’s 1,336. Earned career victory to become the most successful coach in NBA history. The Spurs have lost seven of nine and are 2-3 in a seven-game homestand, the longest of the season.

Spurs forward Keldon Johnson had 34 points, Dejounte Murray added 30 points and 12 assists and Lonnie Walker IV had 22.

WARRIOR 126, WIZARD 112

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 47 points on his 34th birthday, Draymond Green returned after 29 games to spark the defense and Golden State beat Washington.

Curry shot 16 of 25 and made seven 3-pointers. The Warriors shot 53.6% from the floor as they handed Washington a three-game losing streak. Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole each scored 20 points.

Green, sidelined with a lower back disc injury, finished the game with six points, seven rebounds and six assists in 20 minutes.

Kristaps Porzingis had 25 points and Kenatavious Caldwell-Pope had 19 in the Wizards’ fourth straight loss, five of six and six in a row on the road.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead Denver past Joel Embiid and Philadelphia in a battle of MVP contenders.

Embiid finished the race with 34 points and suffered a scary crash. Jeff Green beat Embiid on a drive to the basket 3:13 left and the All-Star center landed on his tailbone. Embiid grabbed his back but left the field under his own power. Green received a flagrant foul and Embiid went 1 of 2 off the free throw line to reduce Denver’s lead to 107-106.

Denver rookie Bones Hyland then stole the show from the All-Star Big Men, burying his fourth 3 of the fourth quarter for a 110-108 lead that the Nuggets retained. Hyland finished with 21 points.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 14 rebounds to help the Milwaukee Bucks rally and then fend off Utah in the final seconds.

Jrue Holiday had 29 points and seven assists and Khris Middleton had 23 for Milwaukee.

Brook Lopez and George Hill both returned to the Bucks’ lineup. Lopez had been sidelined with a back injury since the season opener and missed 67 games. Hill sat out 16 with neck pain.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 29 points and eight assists. Mike Conley added 29 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 14 rebounds.

KAVALIERE 120, CLIPPERS 111, OT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Evan Mobley posted a season-high 30 points and Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists as Cleveland beat Los Angeles.

Isaac Okoro added 20 points, including two free throws, to open overtime. Cleveland has never lagged behind since then.

Ivica Zubac had 24 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, and Amir Coffey had 19 for the Clippers, who only had nine players in uniform. Los Angeles shot 1 of 10 from the field in OT, with Nicholas Batum making a 3-pointer to draw within 110-109. Cleveland scored the last seven points.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter and Toronto held off a late rally from Los Angeles.

The Raptors led by 24 in the first as the Lakers were comfortably defeated for the second straight night.

Gary Trent Jr. had 28 points and Pascal Siakam had 27 for Toronto, which has won four straight games – all on the road. Fred VanVleet returned after being held out in Denver Saturday to rest his right knee and had 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

LeBron James had 30 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost four of five — including 140-111 in Phoenix on Sunday. James was a game time decision due to left knee pain but ended up playing 40 minutes.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox had 34 points, six assists and six rebounds as Sacramento beat a stumbling Chicago.

Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and seven rebounds after missing two games, and Sacramento ended a four-game slip with their third win in ten games. Davion Mitchell scored 16 and Donte DiVincenzo 15.

Zach LaVine had 27 points and six assists for Chicago. Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan had 21. The Bulls, who started the night fourth in the East, have lost six of eight.

HAWKS 122, TRAIL BLAZER 113

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored 21 of his 46 points in the third period and Atlanta rebounded from a 15-point deficit in the second half to beat Portland.

Young, who had 47 points in a win against Indiana the night before, added 12 assists against the Blazers.

The Hawks won their third straight win to reach .500 for the first time since December 15.

Josh Hart led Portland with 31 points.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Terry Rozier scored 30 points and Charlotte defeated Oklahoma City.

Charlotte completed a perfect two-game journey and rallied after falling down as much as 18 points in the second quarter. Miles Bridges had 27 points and six assists and LaMelo Ball finished with 21 points and seven assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points and eight rebounds, and Darius Bazley had 25 points.

Oklahoma City lost its sixth straight game.

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