On the road, the Golden State Warriors dominated the short-handed Lakers with a 134-120 victory, fueled by a relentless barrage of three-pointers.
The Warriors made an impressive 26 out of 41 attempts from beyond the arc, with Stephen Curry leading the charge with a flawless 6-of-6 performance, contributing 23 points.
Klay Thompson and Draymond Green also made significant contributions, each hitting five three-pointers.
Despite the absence of the injured Anthony Davis, LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring with 33 points, supported by Austin Reaves with 22 points and Rui Hachimura with 20 points.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns dropped to seventh place after a 105-92 defeat at home to the Los Angeles Clippers, while the New Orleans Pelicans climbed to sixth place with a 110-100 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to six games with a commanding 120-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons, continuing their impressive run since Joel Embiid’s return from injury.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, Embiid delivered a standout performance, tallying 37 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. The win improved the Sixers’ record to 45-35, placing them just behind the sixth-placed Indiana Pacers (46-34) in the standings.
With two regular-season fixtures remaining for both teams, Sixers coach Nick Nurse noted that Embiid is still progressing in his recovery.
“I think he’s still got some work to do on it.
“But we’re getting there. We’re just slowly inching him up the ladder, just a little bit more each game,” Nurse said.
Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to a dominant 130-104 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets, scoring a 39-point triple-double.
The Mavericks extended their hot streak, maintaining their fifth place in the Western Conference with a record of 49-30.
Daniel Gafford contributed 26 points, and Kyrie Irving added 18 as Dallas cruised to a comfortable win.
