Thompson has 33 in best game of return, Warriors edge Lakers

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers, as fans cheer during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. The Warriors won 117-115. (AP Photo/John Hefti)
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) reacts after hitting a 3-point shot against the Los Angeles Lakers late in the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. The Warriors won 117-115. (AP Photo/John Hefti)
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SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson scored 16 of his season-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry made a clutch layup with 46 seconds remaining, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 117-115 on Saturday night, spoiling another scoring milestone by LeBron James.

Curry finished with 24 points and eight assists, while Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points to help the Warriors end a two-game losing streak. Golden State has not lost three in a row all season.

James had 26 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but missed the first free throw after Curry fouled him attempting a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left. He made the second and missed the third intentionally but couldn’t chase down the rebound in time to get a shot off.

Earlier in the night, James extended his streak of 25 points or more to 22 games and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points scored in the NBA combining the regular season and postseason with 44,157. James tied Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 44,149 in the first half, then surpassed it with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter.

HEAT 115, NETS 111

MIAMI — Bam Adebayo had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Miami held off a furious rally from Kyrie Irving and Brooklyn.

Irving scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to help the Nets rally from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit before dropping their 11th straight game.

Cam Thomas’ 3-pointer with 37 seconds left cut Miami’s lead to 110-109. Down 113-111, the Nets had possession and an opportunity to tie or take the lead. But Kyle Lowry stole Thomas’ pass, dribbled downcourt and found P.J. Tucker, who got fouled and converted his shots to secure Miami’s fifth consecutive win.

76ERS 103, CAVALIERS 93

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had a triple-double of 40 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists along with a highlight-reel jam, and Philadelphia beat Cleveland.

The Sixers are awaiting the debut of James Harden, who was acquired before the trade deadline.

SUNS 132, MAGIC 105

PHOENIX — Devin Booker scored 26 points and Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 10 rebounds as Phoenix won its fifth straight game, beating Orlando.

Chris Paul recorded his 30th double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 assists, and the Suns had nine players score in double figures. Phoenix has won 16 of 17 games and owns the NBA’s best record at 46-10.

GRIZZLIES 125, HORNETS 118

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ja Morant scored 26 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and Memphis held off Charlotte for its fifth straight win.

NUGGETS 110, RAPTORS 109

TORONTO — Rookie guard Bones Hyland made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:16 to play and Denver ended Toronto’s winning streak at eight.

Nikola Jokic had 28 points and 15 rebounds, Jeff Green scored 19 points and Aaron Gordon had 13 as the Nuggets won for the third time time in four games.

BULLS 106, THUNDER 101

CHICAGO — DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points, Nikola Vucevic added 31 points and 15 rebounds, and Chicago overcame a sluggish start to beat Oklahoma City.

DeRozan set a career high with his sixth straight 30-point game. The All-Star scored nine over the final five minutes.

CLIPPERS 99, MAVERICKS 97

DALLAS — Reggie Jackson scored 24 points and Los Angeles held off Dallas in the final minute to earn another split in another two-game set between the teams.

Luka Doncic had 23 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter two nights after scoring 28 of his career-high 51 points in the first of Dallas’ 112-105 win. Doncic had 15 rebounds and eight assists.

KINGS 123, WIZARDS 110

WASHINGTON — De’Aaron Fox scored 26 points, Domantas Sabonis added 16 points and 11 rebounds in his second game with Sacramento, and the new-look Kings beat Washington for their second straight victory.

Harrison Barnes added 21 points for the Kings, who acquired six players this week before Thursday’s trade deadline. In their first game with all six available, Sacramento shot a season-best 56.6% (43 of 76) from the floor.

SPURS 124, PELICANS 114

NEW ORLEANS — Dejounte Murray had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and San Antonio beat New Orleans for a second double-digit, wire-to-wire victory in two nights.

Murray controlled the game with a combination of accurate perimeter shooting on pull-ups and fades alike, explosive drives and forceful finishing around the basket.

TRAIL BLAZERS 112, KNICKS 103

PORTLAND, Ore. — Anfernee Simons had 30 points and eight assists, and Portland erased a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to beat New York.

Newly acquired guard Josh Hart, one of several players new to Portland’s roster after a flurry of trades before the deadline, added 23 points in his Blazers debut.