Coast-to-Coast: Raptors rally late; Rockets, Twolves stay in West playoff race

A busy eight-game NBA Saturday featured Brandon Ingram powering a Raptors comeback, the Rockets and Timberwolves staying in the crowded Western Conference race for the No. 3 seed, and the Clippers continuing their surge.

ROCKETS, TWOLVES MAKE STRIDES; CLIPPERS STAY HOT 

• Houston Rockets (41-25) def. New Orleans Pelicans (22-46), 107-105: Kevin Durant knocked down the go-ahead jumper with 7.6 seconds left, lifting the Rockets past the Pelicans in a tense finish.

Durant finished with 32 points as Houston matched the LA Lakers’ 41-25 record, but gained the edge to rise to West no. 3 after winning the first of their three head-to-head meetings.

[RELATED: NBA: Clutch Kevin Durant drops 32 as Rockets edge Pelicans in thriller]

• Minnesota Timberwolves (41-26) def. Golden State Warriors (32-34), 127-117: Anthony Edwards erupted for 42 points, his 10th 40-point outing of the season, as the Timberwolves beat the Warriors to snap a three-game skid.

The win kept Minnesota in the thick of the Western Conference race, where four teams are separated by just half-a-game for the No. 3 seed.

[RELATED: NBA: Anthony Edwards lights up Warriors with 42, Twolves end three-game skid]

• LA Clippers (34-32) def. Chicago Bulls (27-40), 119-108: Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 26 as the Clippers extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over the Bulls.

After starting the season 6-21, Los Angeles has surged to 34-32, winning seven of its last eight games.

• Toronto Raptors (37-29) def. Phoenix Suns (39-28), 122-115: Brandon Ingram scored 36 points to spark a gutsy fourth-quarter comeback as the Raptors snapped the Suns’ four-game winning streak.

Toronto, which trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter, outscored Phoenix 36-23 in the final period to stay within striking distance in the race for the No. 5 seed in the East alongside the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.

• Detroit Pistons (48-18) def. Memphis Grizzlies (23-43), 126-110: Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham logged double-double outings to pace the Pistons’ strong outing over the Grizzlies.

Duren finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Cunningham added 17 points and 15 assists as Detroit strengthened its hold atop the Eastern Conference, extending its lead to five games over second-place Boston.

• New York Knicks (43-25) def. Indiana Pacers (15-52), 101-92: Jalen Brunson’s near double-double of 29 points and nine assists help the Knicks send the struggling Pacers  reeling to a 12th straight loss.

• Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) def. Dallas Mavericks (22-45), 138-105: Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and James Harden combined for 70 points as the Cavaliers rolled to a 33-point rout of the Mavericks in the first game of a home-and-home set.

• Portland Trail Blazers (32-35) def. Utah Jazz (20-47), 124-114: Behind 25 points each from Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, the Trail Blazers pulled closer to the no. 9 Warriors in the race for the Western Conference play-in spots.

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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.

Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.