Booker scores 59, but Jazz rout Suns 125-92
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jusuf Nurkic had 32 points and 16 rebounds before suffering a gruesome left leg injury in the second overtime, and the Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 148-144 on Monday night.
Nurkic was hurt when his leg bent awkwardly as he battled for an offensive rebound. His leg was immobilized and he was removed on a stretcher while surrounded by members of both teams.
The Blazers pulled out the game without him to clinch a playoff berth, but the loss of its starting center having his best season could be devastating for a Portland team already playing without injured guard CJ McCollum.
Damian Lillard finished with 31 points and 12 assists for Portland, while D'Angelo Russell had 39 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Brooklyn.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rudy Gobert scored a season-high 27 points and set the single-season NBA dunk record to fuel Utah to a victory over Phoenix, which got 59 points from Devin Booker.
Booker topped his previous season high of 55, set in December in a triple-overtime loss to Washington. The fourth-year guard made five 3-pointers and shot 19 for 34 despite drawing several double-teams as the Jazz sought to prevent him from reaching 60 points. He also made 16 of 17 free throws.
Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio each had 18 points and Joe Ingles added 14 as the Jazz won for the seventh time in their last eight games.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Orlando held Philadelphia without a field goal for a stretch of nearly 12 minutes.
Evan Fournier scored 24 points for the Magic, who outscored the 76ers 30-5 over a second-half stretch in which Philadelphia missed 15 straight shots.
The Magic completed their first 5-0 homestand in franchise history and moved a half-game behind Miami in chasing the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They visit the Heat on Tuesday.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Bruno Caboclo scored a career-high 24 points, Tyler Dorsey added 21 and Memphis beat Oklahoma City.
Delon Wright finished with 18 points and a career-best 13 assists for the Grizzlies. Jonas Valanciunas added 18 points and 14 rebounds.
All five starters finished in double figures as the Grizzlies ended a two-game slide.
Paul George led the Thunder with 30 points and 12 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder added 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Russell Westbrook finished with 16 points and seven assists, but was just 6 of 20 from the field and missed five of his six 3-point attempts.