Julius Randle had 27 points as he led the New York Knicks into the All-Star break with a 19-18 record after they triumphed 114-104 over the Detroit Pistons.
The 26-year-old also collected 16 rebounds while second-year small forward RJ Barrett netted 21 points as the Knicks mount a serious charge for their first post-season appearance in eight years.
The Boston Celtics had their fourth consecutive victory as they ran out 132-125 winners against the Toronto Raptors, who continue to be without star players Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby due to the league's coronavirus protocols.
Just another night at the office for Nikola. 20 PTS 12 REB 8 AST#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/5jv7cgccpe — Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 5, 2021
A 12-0 run in the fourth quarter allowed the Denver Nuggets to secure a 113-103 victory over the Indiana Pacers and Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 26 points as the Milwaukee Bucks snuck home 112-111 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Washington Wizards edged the Los Angeles Clippers 119-117, with Paul George noticeably absent after withdrawing from the Clippers lineup just prior to tip-off due to dizziness.
The Miami Heat were 18-18 after Jimmy Butler scored 29 points en route to a 103-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder recovered from a loss the previous night to down the San Antonio Spurs 107-102.
The Phoenix Suns had won 15 of their previous 18 games ahead of Thursday night and they continued their form with a 120-98 humbling of the Golden State Warriors, while the Portland Trail Blazers prevailed as Damian Lillard scored 44 in a 123-119 win against the Sacramento Kings.
